


The One True King

by FizzyTaurus



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Aethelred - Freeform, Alfred - Freeform, Alternate Ending, Assassination, Betrayal, Canon Universe, Danger, England - Freeform, F/M, Heartbreak, Intrigue, Judith is still horrible, Marriage, Prince Aethelred, Saxons, Smut, Team Aethelred, This is the real timeline fight me, Trust Issues, Vikings, assassination attempt, dear diary, in case you thought there should be more sex in Vikings, king aethelred is canon, kings - Freeform, northumbria, prince - Freeform, saxon politics, sorry Alfred, still salty about the show, uh oh, virgin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-08 00:41:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17376245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FizzyTaurus/pseuds/FizzyTaurus
Summary: Forced to hand over his rightful place as king, Aethelred leaves Wessex and tries to retake the crown.





	1. Dear Diary

**Author's Note:**

> Decided to write this in a different style than I usually do. Starts with diary entries and transitions to narrative. I'm very new to this fandom and especially this character and this culture (Old English). This may be very predictable, but we'll see. Diary entries are meant to sound a little elementary because women at this time usually didn't even read/write so that's a sort of departure from the canon. Plus, diaries in general are usually not well-written. 
> 
> Edit: switched to 3rd person after diary entries because I can't see myself writing that much longer in first person for everything.
> 
> Additional edit: Changed Title of Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lovely Aethelred edit at the start is by my lovely friend @Darrencahillinstafans on Instagram! Go follow!

<https://www.instagram.com/darrencahillinstafans/>

 

_Dear Diary,_   
_I don't know where to start! I was out in the market today, and as I always do, I walked over to the courtyard to meet Lisbeth. Instead of the usual meeting place, it was full of people! I heard commotion so I walked over to join them. As it turned out, the Prince was sparring with one of his captains! He is ever so handsome - his eyes are as blue as the sky on a cloudless Wessex day, occasionally obscured by his hair falling over his face. His lips are full and frame his perfect smile completely. I could feel my heart beating faster watching him thrust and parry with grace and speed. He handily beat his captain several times as he is a very strong fighter!_

_When they finished, I happened to be standing very near the gates so I moved out of the way as the group of them came through. Diary, I swear Prince Aethelred looked right at me as he walked past! Of course that could be my imagination, but I can still feel my cheeks burning when I think about it. I saw him smile several times during the sparring, and my heart just melted._

_I will have sweet dreams tonight; I am sure of it._

_-1 week later-_

_Dear Diary,_   
_Our Prince has been out several times this week! I'm so glad because all these Northmen here are quite intimidating and I worry about their presence. I am sure he could beat most of them in combat. I know I am not imagining the fact that he smiled directly at me today. My knees were so wobbly after that! I didn't even know how to act. Gosh, I wonder what he thinks of me. Of course, he probably doesn't even think of me and was just smiling because he was done with his drills._

_I'm finding it very hard to concentrate on getting all the household work done this week as I daydream about him often. I sure do hope he keeps coming out; it does our townspeople a lot of good to see him. I'm sure he'll be getting married soon to someone very beautiful and important. I haven't heard anything, but it's only a matter of time._

_-2 weeks later-_

_Dear Diary,_   
_I am sorry for the long absence! How funny it is to read over the previous entries until now. Not long after my last entry, the Prince did not make an appearance outside the castle gates for quite some time. In fact, I think it was a fortnight since he appeared. When he did, he was with his mother, Judith. They walked right past me in the market, and it took every ounce of strength in me to not turn around immediately and stare!_

_That was yesterday. Today the palace guards came to our house! We were very scared because my family was worried we had done something wrong. But do you know what they wanted? Me! Diary, PRINCE AETHELRED asked for ME! He really DID notice me while he was outside the palace. I started crying, and I had to start packing and preparing because I am to be presented formally at the palace. I leave tomorrow, and I don't know what to expect. I mean, technically, we are nobility, but we haven't been invited to many gatherings at the palace. Am I really going to be the prince’s intended??_

_I'm so nervous, and I don't even know the Prince himself! I want to like him, and I hope he likes me._

_Dear Diary,_   
_Today was a dream day! Once we arrived at the palace with the royal escort, I was directed to a chamber where I would be staying for the next couple of days. In fact, that is where I am writing this now! There were many ladies-in-waiting who helped me get dressed and made sure my braids and hair were properly in place. I asked them a few questions about Prince Aethelred, but they couldn't give me many details but assured me that I would be fine. I was not as confident._

_There was a knock at the door as they were finishing up, and in walks the Queen Mother! She was very kind but extremely formal. She greeted me and told me not to worry about anything, sensing my nerves. She also assessed the resulting hair style I was wearing as well as the gown. I was relieved but still nervous as I had to face the entire court and Prince Aethelred. I felt like a princess because I was very dressed up, but the pressure was overwhelming. Judith asked for some adjustments to my hair and gown, and when she was satisfied, she instructed me to follow her as it was time to be presented._

_I felt like my face was completely red as I made the long walk through the halls to the court and made the turn to walk toward the throne, in a room full of people who were very quiet. King Alfred looked very regal with his maroon robes, and then I saw the Prince. My heart felt as if it would pound out of my very chest as I walked toward him! Judith directed me to stop at one point so she could proceed to the throne and introduce me properly. All I could do was look into Prince Aethelred’s bright blue eyes. I regained my composure quickly enough to curtsy when my name was announced. The Prince smiled at me, and I wanted to melt into a puddle. He walked down the steps, and I remembered to offer my hand as he took it and kissed it. I felt warm all over. I -_

Just then there was a knock at the door. She jumped and put down her pen. Who would be knocking at this hour? She had to hurry to pull on a robe as she already had a nightgown on and did not know who would be at the door. She pulled the door open to find Prince Aethelred there and opened her mouth to ask what in heaven’s name he was doing there, but he put a finger to his lips and stepped in and shut the door behind him quietly. Without saying a word, he took her in his arms and pressed his lips into hers softly, but it didn’t take long for the kiss to become more than that.


	2. A Royal Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picking up where chapter 1 left off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get steamy.

Aeldra gasped as soon as Aethelred pulled back slightly to look at her. “My prince, we shouldn’t…” she whispered, gazing into his crystal eyes. 

“I know,” he replied quietly. “I just had to see you. I don’t think I can wait.” One of his arms tightened around her back as he ran a thumb over her bottom lip. “Can you?” 

Aeldra felt any compunction she had about his presence falling away with his strong body pressed up against hers. She was suddenly very aware that they were both in their night clothes. At once, she felt excited but more nervous than anything, having never been with any man, much less a prince. She shook her head.

Aethelred leaned in again, his lips parting hers, his tongue softly teasing hers. Aeldra felt him push her robe off her shoulders, and pull at the tie that held her gown closed around her chest. The gown slipped slightly down her shoulders, and he moved to kiss down her chin and then around to her neck and she ran her hands up the back up his neck to tangle in his chestnut-brown hair. She trembled at the shivers of pleasure his soft mouth was causing as he gently kissed down to her collar bone. 

Aethelred could feel her tension and paused and took her face in his hands. “It’s okay, darling.” He took Aeldra’s hand and led her over beside the bed. As he undid the two buttons at the top of his own nightshirt, she gently started to pull the sides of the fabric up his body, and he obliged by lifting his arms to assist her in getting it off. It was clear he was in marvelous shape from training as a warrior. Aeldra’s eyes drifted over Aethelred’s now naked form, lingering over his well-chiseled midsection and defined broad shoulders. He noticed and took obvious pleasure in her assessment, a smirk and an eyebrow raise appearing on his countenance. 

The cool palace air against his skin was starting to chill him. Aethelred gave Aeldra’s gown a quick, gentle yank, and it fell the rest of the way down her body to pool at her feet. Now her heart was really racing and her face flushed, but once he gathered her into his arms again, she relaxed a bit. He gave her another quick kiss, released her, and peeled back the linens so she could climb into bed. He couldn’t help but admire the view as she did so, the low light in the room just highlighting the curve of her derriere. He quickly followed her in since the room wasn’t getting any warmer. 

Aeldra instinctively put one leg over Aethelred’s once he pulled up close to her. Everything about this made her nervous and excited. Staring into his clear blue eyes in the low light of the torch-lit room, she couldn’t help but smile. 

He returned her smile and whispered to her, “I wanted you the moment I first saw you.” He proceeded to pull her in for another kiss as he ran his hands down her back, pausing for a moment at the small of her back then moving down to caress and give each of her ass cheeks a gentle squeeze. The touch of his hands drove Aeldra to be more aggressive, and she gave his full bottom lip a nibble. Aethelred let out a low chuckle in the kiss and gave her a soft swat with one hand. With one hand he held her waist and the other moved up to her lovely round breasts as he used one finger to draw random patterns around and over them, pausing here and there to gently pinch her nipples. Aeldra was relieved that he was going slow and being so tender - such a change from the outward hardened warrior facade that he often wore. Her back arched with every pull of her nipples. 

Willing herself to do it, Aeldra attempted to be a little bolder and scooted her hips closer to his, feeling Aethelred’s now very noticeable erection against her abdomen. Her center was actually starting to feel something, but she wasn’t sure what, almost like a distant ache. Her entire body felt like it was coiled up inside, and now his kisses were becoming much more hungry, and she responded in kind.

Aeldra felt one of Aelthelred’s large warm hands drift down her side to her hip. Her stomach flipped when he moved down to stroke her neatly-trimmed mound. She moaned a little louder than she meant to into their kiss when he slid one finger just between her pussy lips, just brushing over her clit, and finding plenty of wetness there. 

“Well, hello there.” He murmured when she sighed and moved her hips with his hand involuntarily. The feeling scrambled all coherent thought in Aeldra’s mind. She automatically moved her leg further up his hip so he could have better access. Aethelred kept moving his fingers, sliding up, down, dipping into her wet heat while they explored one another’s mouths, her hips moving rhythmically with his hand. Suddenly, Aeldra broke their kiss, panting, and started shuddering through her climax. Her expression of surprise afterward amused and pleased Aethelred, and he smiled at her, watching her carefully. 

“Did you enjoy that?” He whispered, giving her sex a little squeeze. 

Aeldra didn’t have words for what she just experienced. She could only reach up to him and pull him in for another tender brush of her lips. 

Then Aethelred rolled over to hover above her and positioned himself between her legs. He stopped kissing her long enough to look into Aeldra’s eyes for approval. She appeared unsure but nodded, hoping her body was as ready as she expected it to be. As soon as she nodded, he eased himself into her, letting out a breathy moan when he felt her heat surround his eager cock. She let out a long sigh and did her best to relax and let him settle in, feeling him fill her up. 

Aethelred was doing his best to control himself and started moving slowly in and out, looking for signs of any discomfort on Aeldra’s face. It wasn’t long before he couldn’t control himself and picked up the pace, thrusting with more force, taking longer strokes in and out. Aeldra’s eyes flashed open, and she started constantly moaning and gasping. Assuming they were all good signs, Aethelred kept going, ever closer to the edge. He only pretended to know what he was doing. All he knew was what his father Aethelwulf told him before he died as well as what his body wanted to do naturally. Aeldra’s hot, wet walls started clamping down on him, and he knew it was over. 

Aeldra finally understood what all the fuss was about. Aethelred’s powerful manhood inside her with his heavy form covering her, felt right, natural. Her entire body felt like it was vibrating, tingles rushing over her in waves. She looked up, watching Aethelred moving over her, sweat covering his form, when he started grunting, and she could feel his cock twitch, spilling into her. He leaned down, kissed her again, catching her lower lip in his teeth briefly, and rolled to lie beside her. Aeldra turned to him, placing her head on his shoulder, and wrapping an arm around his midsection contentedly.


	3. The Banquet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aethelred makes a decision.

Aethelred looked up at the ceiling with a heavy sigh. 

“What’s troubling you, my prince?” Aeldra asked sleepily. 

He was going to have to leave Wessex. As much as Aethelred hated to, that was the only way to escape the personal hell he was experiencing. Not a day passed that giving up the crown to his younger half-brother didn’t eat at his consciousness. 

“Nothing, darling.” Aethelred whispered and kissed her forehead. The truth was he should have been long gone if he was honest with himself. Once again, he was kicking himself for not acting soon enough. 

Aethelred was still hammering out the details of his departure in his mind when he drifted off to sleep with Aeldra in his arms.

The next day, Aeldra awoke to find Aethelred gone and reached out and ran her hand over the place where he’d slept. As she was pulling on her robe, she heard a knock at the door, and two of the royal servants came in to help her clean up and get dressed. Today was the day of the celebration of their betrothal. Even though she had spent the night with him, Aeldra found herself giddy at the prospect of seeing him again. 

\----

Aethelred was a bundle of nerves. He was going to have to leave soon. Waiting any longer would just make things worse. Alfred would be upset. His mother, Judith, likely wouldn't care but would make a big show of making it seem like she did. 

Aethelred missed his father, Aethelwulf, so much. He felt like leaving was a betrayal of everything his father stood for, but he wasn’t around now, and things were much different - the Northmen were settling in the country, Alfred was king, his mother was, well, in the way and constantly meddling. Aethelred had let her manipulate and bully him into giving up the crown that was his by birthright. He hated himself for it. 

It was finally time for Aethelred to do what was right for himself. His only regret was that he was really starting to care about Aeldra. 

Aethelred sat alone in the family dining room to kill time before the banquet, sipping wine and reviewing the latest reports regarding the newly-settled Northmen in East Anglia that King Alfred received every fortnight or so. 

Just then, the King entered, and the familiar tension that crept up Aethelred’s neck every time his brother was around was back. 

“Greetings, brother.” Alfred smiled at him. 

“Greetings.” Aethelred replied solemnly, not looking up. 

“Is something amiss? I would think you would be more cheerful as we’re celebrating your betrothal today.” Alfred sat down across the table from him. 

“I suppose I’m just nervous. It’s a momentous day.” Aethelred said flatly with a shrug. Just then, a note on the reports he was thumbing through caught his eye. Hm. He filed the information away in his mind for later. 

“Well, I should prepare for the banquet later.” Aethelred stood. The truth was he just wanted to be alone. Alfred nodded, and with a worried expression, watched his brother leave the room. 

\----

Aeldra stood waiting for her cue to make the procession down the hall to meet Aethelred. It was an exhausting chore, getting into the beautiful gold gown, having her hair done and arranged with flowers, but at the end, it was worth it. It felt like she looked the part of a princess. 

Just then, Aethelred appeared at the end of the hall. Aeldra thought she had already seen him at his most handsome. Aethelred had donned a black and red doublet over his black breeches and knee high black boots. Somehow the stark contrast of the colors made his blue eyes stand out more than usual. His hair was smoothly combed over and back, ending at the back of his neck in a mess of curls. Aeldra felt her breath catch in her throat and her stomach flip. 

Aethelred couldn’t help but smile at Aeldra once he saw her. The golden gown was the perfect choice, no doubt his mother picked it out, having say over almost everything that happened inside the palace walls. Even so, Aeldra was a vision with her long dark hair falling over her shoulders which were bare as the dress was strapless with long sleeves that started in line with the neckline. The gold embroidery and beadwork reflected the light, accentuating the rest of her body. He took a deep breath. All he had to do was survive the evening which was feeling more and more difficult with each passing moment. 

The music began and they, along with their accompanying entourages, walked toward each other until they met in the center. Aethelred offered Aeldra his arm, and she took it, absolutely beaming at him. As they turned and entered the hall, the guests stood and applauded. 

Aeldra looked up at Aethelred and said softly, “I feel like I’m dreaming.” Aethelred smiled down at her as best he could. His stomach was absolutely in knots. He had no idea this would be as hard as it was. 

“You look lovely.” 

King Alfred and Judith were at the royal table, both looking regal in their formal attire. After the applause died down, Aethelred escorted Aeldra to the table where they both took their seats. 

Alfred leaned over to his brother during dinner. “Looking forward to your marriage?” He had a playful smirk on his face. 

Aethelred rolled his eyes and nodded. Alfred was concerned about his brother. He was unusually quiet and seemed distracted recently. Aethelred was generally cynical and prone to foul moods, but this was different. 

Ignoring Aethelred for a moment, Alfred leaned over to address Aeldra. “Are you enjoying yourself, m’lady?” 

Aeldra blushed. “Yes, your majesty. Everything is wonderful. Thank you.” 

“My pleasure. It will be a great joy to see my brother married and happy. I wish you all the best.” 

Aethelred clenched his jaw. He was dying inside. 

For her part, Judith looked on approvingly. She scanned the crowd who were beginning to finish up their meals since there would be dancing soon. 

After a delightful dinner, Aethelred stood and turned to Aeldra. “Would you like to dance?” 

“Of course.” She stood and took his hand, and Aethelred led her to the floor. It was a good way to take his mind off of things and get away from chatty Alfred, and he genuinely wanted to make certain she enjoyed herself. 

Aeldra was ecstatic to be able to be somewhat alone with Aethelred again. It was difficult maintaining the appearance that they weren’t intimately familiar with one another. As they swirled around the floor together, Aeldra was captivated by his beautiful gaze. “I can’t wait to be your wife.” She beamed. 

It was all Aethelred could do not to wince. It was clear by now that it wasn’t just his family that would be upset by his departure. He wanted to run away right then. 

“I can’t take my eyes off of you.” He responded with his best charming smile, adeptly trying to change the subject. 

“Thank you, my prince.” Aeldra’s expression was rapturous. It was difficult to look at her. Having his arms around her made him wish he could turn back time and go back to last night. Aethelred knew he was probably going to destroy her by leaving. Then again, no one in his life, save for his father, ever really showed that they cared about him other than using him for personal gain. That was likely the case with Aeldra, too, he told himself. Everything felt like such a farce, and he was desperately lonely. 

As the music slowed, Aeldra laid her head against his shoulder. He smelled like sandalwood. She wanted to kiss him but figured she might get another visit from him later in the night, and as it was, they were supposed to appear completely chaste. 

Aeldra noticed that Aethelred was somewhat reserved. She desperately wanted him to trust her with whatever was bothering him. _I wish you would tell me what is going on._ She placed a hand on his chest and felt his heartbeat. 

\----

Aethelred walked Aeldra back to her room. He wrapped his arms around her, and she looked up at him expectantly. He leaned down and kissed her, lingering because he knew it would be some time before he saw her again, if ever. 

Aeldra’s head was spinning from that kiss. “Um,” she paused, “do you want to come in?” 

“I can’t, but I do hope you sleep well.” He placed another kiss on her forehead. With one final gaze into her eyes, Aethelred turned and walked away.


	4. The North

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aethelred puts his plans into motion.

Dear Diary,

Aside from the prince seeming distracted, the banquet tonight was amazing, and my head is still in the clouds. I actually got to speak to King Alfred a little, and he seems very nice. I’m still surprised that I’m here. Dancing with Prince Aethelred was a delight, and I am sure that everyone was watching us. I had to remember not to trip over my dress which was beautiful and fit me perfectly. I am glad that the Queen Mother was willing to let me wear it.

The wedding is supposed to take place in 2 days. I don’t know if I can make it that long. I miss Aethelred so much already even though he kissed me not ten minutes ago. 

\----

Aethelred hurried back to his chambers and quickly stripped out of his formal attire and into his traveling gear, slinging his cloak around his shoulders. He retrieved 2 letters out of his desk and sat them on the foot of his bed. 

Aethelred stood and looked around the room and sighed sadly. He willed himself to pick up his bag and leave the room. To avoid being seen by most of the guards or his family, he took a winding path out of the palace toward the royal stables. Pulling his hood up, he met one of his captains who had readied his horse. 

Once he had strapped his bag onto the saddle, Aethelred nodded a thanks to his captain and mounted up. He had his horse, Zayn, trot out the side gate which was much less busy than the front. As soon as the gates were in his rear view, he dug his heels into the horse and left in a full gallop into the night, putting as much distance between him and Winchester as possible. 

\----

King Alfred and Judith were sitting at the table about to sit down and enjoy breakfast when the captain of the guard came in and bowed. “Your Majesty.” 

“Captain, I did not summon you. Do you bring news?” A confused look crossed Alfred’s face when the guard handed him a letter with Aethelred’s seal on it. Judith waited silently until he finished reading. 

“He’s left the palace and Winchester.” The color drained from Alfred’s face. 

“Why?” Judith didn’t sound nearly as concerned as Alfred would have expected. 

“He can’t support me as king and is heading to Northumbria.” The disappointment in Alfred’s voice was obvious; he truly loved his brother. 

Judith said nothing and mulled this over in her head. King Ecgberht of Northumbria was her brother, a young king, crowned shortly after his father’s death at the hands of the sons of Ragnar. Why would Aethelred go to a kingdom that was potentially adversarial to their family after Alfred had allowed Vikings to settle in English lands? 

“Alfred,” she began, her eyes wide, “we have to get him back.” 

\----

Aeldra was writing in her diary again when there was a knock at the door. She was really hoping to see Prince Aethelred again before the wedding. When it was a guard who handed her a letter bearing his seal, a pit started to form in her stomach. 

_ My dearest Aeldra, _

_ I have had to leave Winchester and Wessex. Soon after your arrival, it was clear I was no longer welcome inside the palace, and it was better that I leave. I do apologize to you most of all, but I could not ask you to join me as it is a long journey to Northumbria, and I do not wish to hurt you. I will think of you often and perhaps we will see each other again.  _

_ Yours, _

_ Prince Aethelred _

The pit in her stomach grew, the words on the page turned blurry, she dropped the letter and flung herself on the bed. Soon her body was wracked with sobs. She knew it; she  _ knew  _ something was wrong. Her chest hurt. What was the point? Why would he even bring her to the palace and then abandon her? Why say he didn’t wish to hurt her, but he still left? 

Once she had time to regain some of her composure, Aeldra started thinking. Why is he going to Northumbria? Surely the King and Queen Mother already knew. What was that line about not being welcome in the palace? Aeldra had sensed some tension, but what family doesn’t have that? She wished she knew more. Now that Aethelred was gone, she was likely going to be escorted back home to her family. 

\----

It took 3 days for Aethelred to travel from Wessex to the southern border of Northumbria. It had been an unpleasant trip with nearly constant rain, having to stay mostly out of sight meant he couldn’t stay in towns or anywhere near Northmen settlements, and he had to fend for himself the whole way. 

Fortunately, an emissary from the king met him, and he had an escort the rest of the way to the palace. Aethelred had already sent a message to the king so his arrival was expected. It took the better part of a day for them to reach the palace, but once they did, he was granted an audience with the king. He wasn’t sure what King Ecgberht would say, but given the tensions in the region, Aethelred was fairly certain he would get what he wanted. 

The prince followed the emissary into the throne room where the king was holding court. Pouring himself a sizeable goblet of wine, the king assessed Prince Aethelred for a moment. The sheer amount of jewelry the king wore nearly blinded the prince. This was a man who clearly enjoyed the privileges of such a position. 

“So, the prince who gave up the crown makes his appearance.” Ecgberht said derisively and took a swig of his cup. Yes, this was definitely his mother’s brother. Aethelred hated him immediately. 

Aethelred took a deep breath and began. “Your majesty, as you know, King Alfred has granted land to the Northmen in East Anglia. I have no doubt that their borders will expand as long as the king has them to fight for him. I believe - ” 

Ecgberht held a hand up to interrupt him. “You are correct. We now are dealing with skirmishes occurring with the Northmen in our southern territory. Why is it a concern of yours? In truth, you are fortunate that I granted you this meeting as I could have imprisoned you just as easily since you helped cause that problem.” 

“King Ecgberht, I did not willingly give up my rightful crown. My mother -  _ your sister _ \- is controlling the king. She knew I would not bow to her will so she uses Alfred to advance her own agenda. He is not strong enough to see it.” Aethelred continued, “If I were to retake the crown, I would drive the Northmen out and see to it that Northumbria is protected from further advances.” 

“And I assume that you are here to ask for my help in doing so. Is that it? You want me to go to war with Wessex?” The king was very skeptical. Wessex had a formidable army, and with the help of the Northmen, they had proven to be nearly unstoppable when fending off additional raiding Danes. 

“No, we need to make their lives difficult. If we attack the settlements near East Anglia, the Northmen will likely turn on Alfred.” 

“What if he sends his forces to protect those settlements?” 

“This far north? He would rather deal diplomatically with you as his uncle. Then you can demand that I be crowned rightful king of Wessex, or else the attacks will continue.” 

The king thought for a moment. The Vikings working with King Alfred were some of the same ones who killed his father. The prospect of being able to get revenge was tempting, but save for the settlements near the border, Northumbria was experiencing mostly peace. 

“Okay, Prince Aethelred, I will support you...on one condition.”

\----

Aeldra was nervous when she was summoned to speak privately with the King and Queen Mother. It must have shown on her face because Judith spoke first. 

“Child, you have no reason to be afraid.” Judith walked up to Aeldra and took her hands. “What’s the matter?” It was evident that Aeldra had been sobbing. 

“A guard told me that Aethelred is gone.” Aeldra lied, her voice cracking. Something in her told her not to mention Aethelred’s letter to her to Judith. 

“Yes, it’s true that Aethelred has left the palace. Alfred has sent riders to track him down and bring him back. In the meantime, you are still our guest.” Judith tenderly brushed a stray hair out of Aeldra’s face. 

Alfred’s worry for his brother was etched on his face. He turned to Aeldra from his seat. “Did Aethelred mention anything to you about leaving last night at the banquet?” 

Aeldra shook her head. “No, but he seemed distracted all evening. I wish I knew him better so that I could help.” 

“Do not feel guilty, darling. We will get him back.” Judith reassured her. 

Alfred sighed. “He’s likely gone to Northumbria to ask them to attack us. If he no longer supports me as king, that makes the most sense. I am not sure how we hold off an army from our countrymen to the north while still holding off raiding Northmen. Our defenses would be spread too thin.” 

Aeldra swallowed hard. She didn’t wish to hear any more of the king’s internal dialogue or be part of a plan to counter whatever Aethelred was doing. However, knowing at least some of what he was thinking could help her in some way down the road. Mostly she was afraid for the prince’s safety. 

\----

Aethelred collapsed on his bed in the guest quarters once he finished his meeting with Ecgberht. He was utterly exhausted and every part of his body ached from his journey. As much as Ecgberht annoyed him, his condition of support was actually amenable to Aethelred. Part of him did not want to make that deal, but if he was truly honest with himself, he wasn’t that bothered by it. He wondered about his family, and whether or not his departure really made any difference in Wessex at all. A pang of conscience hit him when he remembered Aeldra. She was caught in the middle of the whole mess with his family. Judith had insisted Aethelred select a bride, or she would do it for him. The truth is that Aethelred had noticed Aeldra from the moment he saw her while he was training with his men. He just hadn’t expected things to go south so quickly and wanted to protect her, but he missed Aeldra’s calming presence greatly. 

Regret was something he lived with. It should have seemed trivial to add another one to the pile. Aethelred was a fighter, and he would do whatever it took to take back what was his, but he wasn’t heartless. 

As he laid on the bed alternating between pondering his next move and falling asleep, there was a soft knock at the door. “Yes?”

Aethelred sat up when the door opened, and a young woman walked in. It was clear she had likely been sent by the king as her hair was down around her shoulders, and the dress she wore was very low cut. Aethelred blinked. Was he dreaming or was he just that exhausted and seeing things? 

The woman sat next to him on the bed and ran a hand up his thigh. “Greetings, Prince.” She whispered into his neck as she began to place soft licks and kisses just below his jaw. The heat from her lips ran all the way down his core into his hardening crotch which is where her hand was moving dangerously close to. Her lips moved up and captured his, and for a minute, he let his body take over. Her full, soft lips were so inviting, teasing, and every inch of him wanted to just melt and give in to her advances. Her hand moved from his thigh and landed on his chest and pushed him back down to the bed. 

Just as she was about to throw one leg over him to straddle him, she moved her hand up to his groin and gave him a squeeze, and Aethelred nearly jumped off the bed.    
  
“I’m sorry, I - I can’t.” 

The woman shrugged and moved toward the door. “As you wish. Let the guards know if you change your mind.” Her voice was sultry and low as she closed the door behind her. 

Aethelred’s manhood was complaining rather loudly after that. He groaned in frustration. Maybe he’d think of Aeldra later and take care of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points if you know where I got the name for the horse.


	5. An Ally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An ally appears, and a threat is revealed.

After a few days had passed with no sign of Aethelred, the wedding was called off, and Aeldra was ready to just pack up her things and move back to her father’s house. Then she happened to overhear Judith and Alfred talking in not so hushed tones in one of the royal studies as she walked down the hall. She crept closer and paused to listen. She could just make out what they were saying.

“Mother, I sent a contingent to deal with the incursions into the Viking settlements! We cannot afford to send more! King Ecgbert is my uncle, and Aethelred is my brother. We cannot risk all out war with them! We still have Danish raiders with which to contend.”

Judith opened her mouth to speak, but Alfred slammed his fist on the table and pointed at her accusingly. “And it’s your fault! _You_ ran him off with your constant attempts to control him! He’s going to come for us eventually. This is only the start.”

Judith raised her voice. “Alfred! Blaming me is not going to solve this problem! We need to soundly defeat Ecgberht’s forces and get him to send Aethelred home. Send a messenger with terms of a truce if you want, but with Aethelred there, it’s likely not going to work.”

Judith was indignant although Alfred spoke more truth than he knew. Aethelred had killed an assassin that Judith sent only days before. It wasn’t her fault that Aethelred was a cunning and able warrior. He knew he was being followed, led the perpetrator to a dark alley, and easily overpowered and stabbed him. The man bled out before Aethelred could get any information out of him, but that was all the impetus he needed to get out of Wessex.

Judith had no idea if he knew that she was the one who arranged for the killer. Aethelred had plotted against the king previously, but she had no doubt he would do it again, and his departure was probably the first step toward that.

“We _have_ to try diplomacy first. Summon the messenger.” Alfred moved to his desk to start composing a message to the king. “I am certainly not stepping down as king as he demands. That is a ludicrous suggestion. I will offer him some of the land near his border so the Viking settlements are farther away from his current border.”

Aeldra’s eyes were the size of dinner plates. She quickly and quietly moved down the hall when she heard steps coming toward the door where she had been listening. She had to get some of this information to Aethelred.

As she hurried into her room to come up with a plan, she found a letter on her nightstand. She looked around. Who had been in her room? Why was there no seal in the wax? Opening the letter, she sat down to read. She recognized the handwriting immediately. It was from Aethelred!

_My dearest Aeldra,_

_Again, I deeply apologize for leaving. I haven’t stopped thinking about you, and I still want to marry you. I have to continue on this course for now, but I wanted you to know that I will either come back for you or find a way for you to join me here. Please be safe. You can trust King Alfred, but know that anything you say to him will get back to my mother._

That much was already clear to Aeldra, based on what she had just heard. He continued:

_I wish I could tell you more, but I’m risking much by sending you this letter. If you don’t want to wait for me, I of course understand, but I care for you greatly._

_Yours,_

_Prince Aethelred_

Aeldra’s chest tightened with nervousness but also excitement. Seeing this letter in his hand brought back the memory of being with him only a few days ago. She ran her hand over the text and sighed. She needed to find a way to write him back, but she wasn’t royalty, and everything coming in and going out of the palace was scrutinized. Someone in the palace was still loyal to Aethelred. She just needed to find out who.

She sat down to pen her letter. As she was composing it, there was a knock at the door. When Aeldra opened it, she was startled and quickly curtsied. “Your Majesty!” She gasped. King Alfred stood at the door, looking much less intimidating than when he wore his typical regalia or formal wear. He was wearing a simple doublet, and had recently cut his hair, making him look more mature.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but may I come in?” He was polite to a fault.

Aeldra smiled sweetly. He was the king; he could go anywhere he wanted, but he couldn’t help himself. “Of course.” She moved aside so he could step in, and he closed the door behind him.

The king looked nervous which Aeldra found endearing. “Um, ah, I, uh, just wanted to tell you that I was the one who put that letter on your nightstand. I’m sorry as I do not want to intrude, but I knew I had to give you that letter. We may not be getting along right now, but Aethelred is my brother. I hate that you had to be in the middle of this as it’s unsettling for all of us.” He kept his voice low. “If you want to send him one in return, I will affix my personal seal to it and make sure that it is kept confidential.”

Aeldra was so thrilled she threw her arms around him. “Oh, thank you, your Majesty!” Once she realized what she was doing, she let go and put her hands to her face in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry! My apologies; my excitement got the best of me.” Aeldra blushed.

Alfred chuckled. “It’s quite alright. Just get me that letter once you’re ready.”

Aeldra smiled and nodded. The king quietly slipped out the door. She had felt completely alone since Aethelred left, but it was nice to feel like she had a sort of ally in Alfred even though he was king, especially since Aeldra was starting to become more distrustful of Judith. Not only because Aethelred warned her, but even though the woman was always polite to her, something just seemed very disingenuous about Judith.

Of course now Aeldra felt that she couldn’t really betray Alfred by giving strategy to the “other side”, but, she reasoned, it wasn’t like he wouldn’t get the offer of a truce at the same time as her letter. So she hurried to her desk to finish her letter.

_My Prince,_

_I cannot tell you how overjoyed I was to hear from you. I pray that you are safe and that you’ll be able to return to me soon. Alfred is going to offer diplomacy. I hope that it can be resolved as such. I miss you more than words can say. I miss the way your arms feel around me. I felt like I could find the meaning of life in your beautiful blue eyes. Please please come back to me soon. I know that Alfred misses you too. You were right; he is very kind and trustworthy. I will still be careful._

_Forever Yours,_

_Aeldra_

Aeldra sighed. That ache in her chest was still there and bubbled its way to the surface where the tears started to fall. She missed Aethelred so much and was worried that he would be injured or worse if he was involved in any of the fighting despite his prowess as a warrior. She let a couple of the tears hit the page before she folded it up and stashed it away until she saw Alfred again. Aeldra decided to forgo writing in her diary before heading to bed that night.

\----

“I told you.” Aethelred stood in the king’s chamber with his arms crossed, looking extremely proud of himself. “Although I suspect that land is not a large parcel.”

King Ecgberht nodded. “Yes. It’s really a pittance compared to what he _should_ give me.”

“And I will give you those lands in East Anglia when I am restored as king and drive the Northmen out.” Aethelred continued, “So now you summon Alfred personally to negotiate with him, but you must ensure that Ubbe does not come with him. He would convince Alfred not to give in to your demands.”

“I don’t see what good that would do. I’m not accepting his terms. I want the Northmen OUT, whether or not you’re king. Speaking of which, I need you to go lead my forces. We are having a difficult time with one particular group in the northwest corner of those lands. Go down there and beat them back and return!” The king was losing his patience with Aethelred. All he was getting for his trouble with the Northmen was losses to his armies.

“Just trust me.” Aethelred turned and left to prepare to lead the charge as Ecgberht directed.


	6. Lost Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A battle takes place, and a decision is made for Aethelred. Judith gets bad news.

Aethelred was working on the next plan of attack when a messenger entered the tent and handed him a letter. It had Alfred’s seal on it so he was taken aback a bit when it arrived so late. He excused himself from the generals and walked out to read it, and then he wished he hadn’t. It was from Aeldra. It would be one thing if he had seen it earlier, but as it was, heading out to battle soon, receiving a letter from Aeldra was almost too much - it made him think of home in Wessex and the fact that she was waiting for him and worrying about him. He took some comfort in knowing that at least Alfred had remained a true brother. The thought made him crumple a bit. Here he was making outright trouble for his brother, and Alfred still cared enough to do this favor for him and his intended. Taking a deep breath, he folded up the letter as small as he could, tucked it into his vest and headed back inside. 

Aethelred really couldn’t figure out why the king’s men hadn’t been able to drive back this particular group of Northmen. The Saxon army easily outnumbered them, and the settlements were mostly agricultural so there weren’t many who were warriors anyway. He wondered if his uncle just wanted him out of the palace for a while. 

“We’ll attack at dawn tomorrow. I think all we need to do is divide up our charge and flank them on either side. They can’t afford to split up to surprise us so this should be our best plan of attack.” Aethelred studied the map in front of him. 

“We’ll also have extra riders on horseback.” One of the generals confirmed. 

Aethelred nodded. “Good. You’re dismissed.” 

The next day Aethelred rode out and barked instructions to the men before they reached the rise that overlooked the area where the Northmen were. With a fierce battle cry, he raised his sword and started the charge down the hill toward the waiting enemy with two other contingents set to come in from either side. Soon the noise of arrows slinging by reached his ears, and then Aethelred knew why he was sent. There were archers embedded in the group that were difficult to reach until they were face to face with their combatants. He kept his head down and urged his horse to go faster to close the gap. 

It wasn’t enough. Out of the corner of his eye, Aethelred saw one of the generals next to him take an arrow to the chest and wobble until the motion of his horse bounced him off the saddle. They had almost reached the Northmen to engage in combat when Aethelred felt something knock him back, followed by a searing pain in his shoulder. He was hit, but he didn’t have time to do anything about it. His horse, Zayn, trampled a few Vikings as they reached the Northmen with Aethelred swinging his sword and taking out a few more. A Viking who had commandeered a horse from the Saxons charged at him from the right. Before Aethelred could strike, the Northman rammed him with a large shield, forcing him to jump off the opposite side of his horse. 

Before he could re-engage with the man, one of Aethelred’s men took out the Viking with an arrow to the back. All the movement with the arrow in his shoulder made him wince in pain. The injury was starting to bleed and soak his undershirt. Aethelred managed to pause just long enough to break off most of the arrow shaft.

The arrow had hit his sword-wielding shoulder, and he was glad his father had made sure he was almost just as proficient with his opposite arm. He was able to fight off and take out most of the Vikings he encountered. It was a long battle, but the flanking strategy paid off, and they drove the Vikings to retreat. 

Aethelred managed to make it back to camp under his own power. Zayn, his horse, had been spooked during the battle after Aethelred had to dismount but had been recovered and brought back to camp. 

The arrow hadn’t penetrated far due to Aethelred’s armor. The arrow just happened to get wedged between the plates and a few inches into his flesh. The physician and his team removed the armor and cut off his undershirt carefully to avoid worsening the injury. 

Aethelred let out a loud stream of epithets when the doctor yanked the arrow out as there were no barbs that would have made for a much more painful and traumatic extraction. It started bleeding again, and the doctor wrapped it up right away. 

“We have to slow the bleeding, and then I can clean it and put some ointment on it.” 

Aethelred only nodded. He noted that besides his own wound, he was mostly covered in the blood of Northmen. At least they had prevailed. 

After two days, he was able to travel back to the palace and report to King Ecgberht. 

“You need to go back to Wessex.” 

Aethelred’s eyes widened. “What? Why? We just pushed the Northmen back and regained the territory you wanted.” 

“It’s not worth it. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking.” The king paused. “We have succeeded for now, but I have lost faith in your plan.” 

Aethelred was furious. King Ecgberht barely knew how to be an effective ruler, and while he was only slightly older than Aethelred, he had no idea what fighting a war was really about. Northumbria had not had to deal with Viking raiders to the same degree that Wessex had. Aethelred couldn’t help the next words out of his mouth. 

“Because that worked out so well for your father.” Referring to the fact that King Aella had abandoned the alliance with King Ecbert, Aethelred’s grandfather, that ultimately led to his horrific death at the hands of the sons of Ragnar, did not please the king. 

“GET OUT NOW!” He bellowed. “If you are still here in the morning, I will have you hanged.” 

“Happy to.” Aethelred decided he didn’t need to wait. He was going to leave tonight. He would have to confront the fact that there had been an attempt on his life in Wessex, and he had no idea who had planned it. He decided it was time to find out. In the meantime, he had to figure out a way to either be satisfied with his brother ruling Wessex or to do something about it. 

Aethelred took the main road out of Northumbria this time since it was no secret he had been there, but he was careful to avoid any contact with Viking settlements. He rode hard and fast and reached Winchester after nightfall of the second day. However, he wasn’t sure if Alfred had put out a decree to arrest him on sight so he carefully avoided the front gates and came back through the less frequently used gates at the western side. 

Aethelred hated having to sneak around his own home, but it was necessary to avoid arrest or something worse. It was possible the threat to his life was gone, but there was no way to know for sure. 

Remaining under his hooded cloak, he silently greeted his captain that had assisted him in his exit only a few weeks before. He kept his head down and passed his own quarters, headed for Aeldra’s. 

\----

Aeldra was dozing off while writing in her journal, hopeful that she would receive another letter from Aethelred while he was so far away, causing trouble but still thinking of her. Her head was starting to slump in her hand while at her desk, eyes closed but not quite asleep. 

She was startled by a knock. Who was it this time? It seemed every time she turned around, a servant was bothering her at all hours. Why did this place seem to only be active at night? 

“Who is it?” Aeldra asked, thinking about ignoring them regardless of the answer. 

Then came the response. “A prince.”

Yanking open the heavy door with both hands, Aeldra found a smiling Aethelred standing there. Without a word, she jumped into his arms, deliriously happy. He lifted her slightly off the floor so he could enter and close the door behind them. He smelled like his horse and sweat and iron, but she didn’t care. He had finally returned, and she could no longer keep the tears of joy from streaming down her face. 

“My prince, you’ve come back to me.” Aeldra whispered when she lifted her head off his shoulder and looked into his pale blue eyes. Aethelred reached up with a hand to wipe a stray tear from her cheek. 

Aethelred didn’t say anything. Words would not have been sufficient to express what he felt for her. He pulled Aeldra in for a kiss, the likes of which neither of them had experienced before. It was a kiss that said so many things that the distance between them had not allowed them to communicate. Although they hadn’t known each other long prior to being engaged, the separation only drove them to realize how much they were destined to be together. 

Aeldra had that familiar sense of desire growing within her, but before it could go anywhere, Aethelred pulled away. 

Aeldra knew something was not quite right. “What’s going on? Why are you dressed like that?” 

Aethelred knew it was a long story, but he had few allies in the palace he could trust, and he was going to have to tell Aeldra everything. He shrugged his cloak off and began to explain. 

“King Ecgberht and I had differences of opinion, and I could no longer stay in Northumbria.”

“But why did you leave in the first place?” Aeldra had her theories, and she had overheard Judith and Alfred talking about it. She wanted him to tell her the truth. 

Aethelred sighed and looked down, slightly ashamed of himself. “Because I wanted to be king. My mother interfered, likely on the advice of my grandfather, and forced me to step aside for Alfred. I ultimately wanted to get rid of Alfred - just have him step down as he should, nothing more. I love my brother. I’m supposed to be king; my father Aethelwulf trained me and prepared me for it.” The emotion in his voice when he said his father’s name made it clear Aethelred felt a little lost without his father and still grieved for him. His words were full of pain and not a small amount of bitterness. The one person in his family that had his back had died some time ago, and Aethelred had been essentially alone until the arrival of Aeldra.

Aeldra’s face was full of compassion. She moved in to him again and gave him a gentle kiss, resting her hands on his chest. “Then you  _ should  _ be king.” She always knew this was true even upon hearing of Alfred’s coronation, but now she knew the story behind it. 

Aethelred briefly smiled at her acknowledgement and then continued, his face growing more serious. “However, you need to know that there was an attempt on my life before I left, and that’s why I had to come in under cover of darkness. I don’t know who or why, and I can’t be sure that I’m entirely safe right now.”

This alarmed Aeldra. “What?!”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I killed a man who had been following me and was about to assassinate me. I need to find out why and who was behind it.” 

“What are you going to do?” 

“Tomorrow I’m going to speak to Alfred and my mother about it. We need to find this person and punish them.” Aethelred’s eyes briefly flashed with anger before softening again. 

“But tonight, I’m staying with you.” 

\----

“What do you mean Aethelred has returned?” Judith couldn’t hide the annoyance in her voice. 

Her servant just bowed and said, “He was seen entering the palace from the stables last night, my lady. He is likely in his quarters now.” 

Judith fidgeted with the quill pen in her hands. Everything was going even better than she had planned; she hadn’t had to kill Aethelred after all, and he was gone, away from the kingdom and out of the way - save for the trouble he caused with Northumbria and her brother. 

She waved the servant off and sighed. This was a problem. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed that I now have this marked for 10 chapters. That's an estimate and could change, but I think I'll be wrapping it up around then.


	7. Suspicion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judith is officially a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All aboard the smut train! (Come on, it's been a while for both of them. There's plot in this chapter, I promise.)

<https://www.instagram.com/darrencahillinstafans/>

"Oh?" A playful smile appeared on Aeldra's lips. "But, my prince, we are only engaged and not yet married." She batted her eyes emphatically.

"Well, I won't tell if you won't." Aethelred smirked, raising an eyebrow, the look in his eyes growing darker.

Aeldra felt a thrill in her stomach that quickly turned to a growing longing further in her core.

Aethelred took a step back. He began disrobing, slowly pulling his overcoat and doublet off. When he gingerly removed his undershirt, Aeldra gasped, grimacing at the sight of the bandage on his shoulder. She immediately ran up to him and fingered the cloth.

Aethelred looked into her worried expression and tried to reassure her. "It's nothing." He whispered.

Aeldra decided to trust him on that. It was clear it didn't bother him. Besides, she was too distracted by the rest of his bare shoulders and chest. The lean muscle caused smooth lines and ridges everywhere it met the next.

Aethelred stood still and watched her run her hands over his shoulders and then down to his chest, her warm hands arousing him with every touch. How he had dreamed of this moment when he was away in Northumbria, thinking about her form almost on a nightly basis. He had to resist the urge to throw her on the bed and take her without hesitation.

Aethelred raised her chin to his lips with one hand and kissed her, softly at first, and then upping the intensity. Aeldra wrapped her arms around his midsection while his hands pushed her flimsy nightgown down around her shoulders where it fell to her elbows. Aethelred continued kissing down her neck, tangling his hands in the long hair flowing over her back, taking his time to lick little patterns as he made his way to her collarbone and shoulders. He  moved back a bit so their bodies no longer stopped her nightgown from falling further down her arms.

Aethelred heard Aeldra’s excited sighs and could see her chest rising and falling that much heavier as he kissed his way down her chest to where only the tops of her breasts were now exposed.

Aeldra was almost shuddering when Aethelred’s hot mouth reached her chest. He unwrapped himself from her grasp and watched as her gown fell away to rest at her feet. She felt completely exposed, but one look at his face heated her back up. It was as if he was devouring her with his eyes. Aeldra sucked in a sharp breath when he caught one of her nipples in his mouth and rolled over it with his tongue, followed by a graze of his teeth. The sensation sent a shockwave straight down to her center. Aethelred felt it pucker beneath his lips and couldn’t help but smile against her skin.

Aethelred continued to lavish attention on her breasts, alternating between licking and sucking one nipple and rolling the other between a thumb and forefinger. The tension between Aeldra’s legs was almost too much, and she found herself squeezing them together to try to relieve some of the tension.

Aethelred was enjoying taking his time. He slid down to his knees, hands on her back, placing gentle licks and kisses around Aeldra’s stomach and hips, the rough facial hair of his beard grazing her delicate skin making her squirm.

His hands curled around her round derriere and gave it a squeeze. He glanced up to see Aeldra with her eyes closed, head tilted back, the slightest whimper starting to escape her mouth. Even though he was a little apprehensive about what he was about to do, he had no doubt she would enjoy it.

Aeldra’s nerves were heightened. She had a feeling she knew where this was going but couldn’t help but be a little self-conscious. That feeling quickly dissipated when Aethelred placed his lips on her neatly-trimmed pussy and kissed it. Next, he leaned in and took a long lick between her increasingly swollen lips. Everything in Aeldra’s body lit up. The unadulterated pleasure resulting from it caused a moan out of her throat that she really should have stifled but couldn’t help herself. Here was her prince on his knees in front of her, giving her the most amazing pleasure of her life. Her knees felt weak, but she didn’t have much time to think about it.

Aethelred enjoyed that a lot more than he imagined. Besides hearing her reaction, he loved her taste. Using his thumbs to expose more of her flesh to him, he went at it, licking, sucking, using his tongue every way he could think of to taste more of her. Above him, Aeldra was falling apart. She had braced her hands on his shoulders, not sure she was going to be able to stand much longer. Between his tongue making long, leisurely trips up from her center to her front, he would lightly graze her clit, making her gasp and shudder again, but the tension.  _ Oh, the tension _ \- it was so delicious. It felt like her climax was right there but so far away.

Aethelred hummed while stroking her with his tongue, and it was so incredibly sexy that Aeldra almost came right then and there. Her legs were shaking, and sensing this, Aethelred withdrew his mouth from her and stood up. Taking her into a passionate kiss, he shoved his tongue into her mouth, allowing her to taste herself. Aeldra was melting in his arms, but her center was throbbing with need. She grabbed the front of his pants, trying to concentrate on getting them undone while he kissed her.

Aethelred chuckled and slipped a finger into her wet heat. "Is somebody in a hurry?"

Aeldra moaned which turned into a whine. "I  _ need  _ you, Aethelred!" She pleaded.

He swept her into his arms and carried her over to the bed. The truth was, he needed her too, but he was having fun drawing this out. His cock was heavy and starting to be quite uncomfortable at this point. He needed to finish what he started. Laying her on the bed with her legs over the edge, he knelt again. Quickly sealing his mouth on her, he gently sucked while also using his tongue to stroke her clit. Aeldra's back arched in response and she started shuddering through the waves of tingles, heat, and pleasure; and Aethelred didn't stop his assault until she finished.

Breathing hard, Aeldra looked down and saw him smile at her, his mouth and chin glistening with her slick. She couldn't help but blush. She continued to watch while he pulled off his boots and noticed a significant bulge in his pants. Removing and discarding his boots, he watched her while he undid the ties and pushed them down his legs to step out. Aethelred sighed in relief as they slid over his hips, releasing his cock to stand out from his body.

He crawled over Aeldra, her fingers threading through his hair once she could reach him. He paused to lavish more attention on her nipples, tugging on one with his teeth.

Aeldra opened her legs to him and this time Aethelred wasn’t wasting any time. As he slid into her, she wrapped her legs around his hips. He drew in a sharp breath to slow himself down a little or else he was in danger of exploding into her immediately, and he just couldn’t have that.

“God, you’re so tight.” He whispered through clenched teeth.

Drawing him down to kiss her, Aeldra gasped when he drew back and quickly thrust back into her. Every time he did, she could feel that rush spread from her center all the way out to her fingers and toes.

Aethelred watched the flush spread over her chest as he took up a steady pace, Aeldra’s eyes closing in ecstasy. Her whole body shook with each push of his hips. He felt her walls start to flutter around him, sending the energy in his core out and spilling into her with a throaty yell. Aeldra smiled and held onto him tightly until he settled down.

As he rolled off of her, Aeldra turned toward him and laid her head on his shoulder. He turned and kissed her forehead. Aeldra was quite sure she loved Aethelred but was unsure of exactly how to express that early on in their courtship.

\---

Aethelred made his way to Alfred's royal apartments in the palace in the morning. He had hoped to catch his brother alone. Relieved to find that the guards didn't seem alarmed by his presence, he knocked.

"You may enter." Came the response.

Aethelred stepped in to see his brother at his desk. Alfred's eyes lit up upon seeing Aethelred, and he jumped up to embrace his brother.

"Brother! You've returned to us!" Alfred was positively giddy. His expression changed when he released Aethelred and noticed the serious look on his face.

Aethelred looked sullen. "Alfred, my apologies. I am sorry for leaving Wessex and causing problems for you with Northumbria. I have since realized the error of my ways, and I support you, but I need your help." Aethelred took a seat across from Alfred. “That is, if you will forgive me for it.”

"Of course. You’re my brother - what’s done is forgotten.” Alfred handed Aethelred a cup of tea.  “Now, what do you need?" Concern filled Alfred's voice.

"Someone here, likely within the palace, is trying to assassinate me. There was an attempt before I left."

Alfred thought for a moment. He recalled someone from the royal army found stabbed to death mysteriously quite some time ago. He absentmindedly twirled a ring on his left hand, recalling anything he could to potentially help his brother.

“I will have my men investigate, but do let me know if there is anything I can do for you. We will post extra guards and sentries around your quarters and the palace in the meantime.”

“Thank you, brother.”

\----

Aeldra sat with Judith in the dining room albeit at a smaller table than the main dinner table, having tea. Aeldra was glad for the opportunity to talk to Judith but still kept Aethelred’s warning in the back of her mind. She knew that what she said in any area of the palace would eventually get back to Judith, but she wasn’t sure exactly what that meant. Aeldra guessed it had something to do with the fact that her sons had grown tired of her meddling. She understood that.  _ My own mother bothers me about everything too. _

“Now that Aethelred has returned to us, you’re to be married soon. It should only be two or three days before we complete the preparations.” Judith asked Aeldra as she took a sip of tea.

“Yes, he is a good man.” Aeldra smiled, unable to hide a hint of blush on her cheeks.

“You’re quite taken with him, aren’t you?”

Aeldra nodded.

“Well, he will need you to support him. He may not be king, but commanding the king’s army is quite a responsibility.”

“Yes, Aethelred is a very capable general.” Aeldra was glad he was back with her and had only sustained a minor wound as a result of his trip to Northumbria. He was also a great tactician, and she knew he could win any battle he fought.

Judith seemed restless. She rose from her seat and walked toward the window. “He is, but…” She paused and then turned to face Aeldra again. “You do know why he went to Northumbria, don’t you? Surely he told you, as his betrothed.”

“Well…” Aeldra hesitated. “He was afraid for his life.”

Judith’s face turned sympathetic. “I heard about that. How horrible that someone would conspire to kill the king’s brother like that. I am sure that the perpetrators will be caught in a short time.” She grimaced and looked down at her tea, stirring it without looking up. After a few seconds, she sighed. “He wants the crown, Aeldra.”

Aeldra cocked her head and stared at Judith. “What do you mean?”

Judith raised her eyebrows. “Surely he’s told you. You don't think he would go to all the inconvenience of making political trouble with Alfred solely because of some supposed assassination attempt, do you?”

“No, I mean - what? He wouldn’t do that.” Aeldra shook her head in disbelief. “He cares about Alfred! He never wanted to hurt him.” Her heart was thumping in her chest.

Judith lowered her voice. “I don’t know, Aeldra. If I were you, I would be very careful around Aethelred. He  _ needs  _ to be king. You don’t know him like I do.” She finally sat down again and scooted her chair closer to Aeldra and took her hands in her own. “Will you do something for me?”

Aeldra nodded, not sure what she was agreeing to.

“Be a good wife when the time comes, but if Aethelred says  _ anything _ to you about being king or harming Alfred in any way, will you tell me?” Judith’s eyes were wide, exuding concern.

A chill ran down Aeldra’s spine. She nodded in silent agreement again. Judith wanted her to spy on Aethelred and betray his trust. She couched her agenda in concern, but what kind of mother was she?

“Thank you, my dear.” Judith patted Aeldra’s hands and then rose to go. She turned to give Aeldra a knowing smile as she walked out the door.

Aeldra’s hands were starting to shake. She downed her tea and hurried out of the dining area to find Aethelred. What she didn’t count on was Judith following her, just out of sight.

With no answer from Aethelred at the door of his quarters, Aeldra hastily strode to the only other place she could think of - the king’s war room. As she ran up to the door, a royal guard stepped in her path. “I’m sorry, my lady, but you cannot enter.”

“Is the prince in there?” Aeldra shot him a look. She didn’t have time for this. “Please move, it’s urgent I talk to Prince Aethelred.” She clenched her fists at her side.

The guard was unmoving. Aeldra decided she had no choice. “AETHELRED!!!” She screamed right in the guard’s face, and she hoped, through the heavy door.

The prince looked up from his discussion with the king. That was Aeldra, and she sounded upset. He motioned to one of the captains in the room to open the door.

Finally the guard blocking Aeldra moved aside when the door opened, and she hurried inside. Both Alfred and Aethelred were startled, and both stood up to face her.

She bowed to the king. “I’m sorry, your Majesty, but I need to speak with Aethelred alone.”

Alfred raised his eyebrows. Few people were bold enough to ask the king to leave the room. With a nod to Aethelred, he turned to go. “As you wish.”

As soon as the king had left the room, Aeldra grabbed Aethelred’s shoulders.

His brow furrowed as he rested his hands on her hips. “Darling, what could possibly be the matter?”

She kept her voice at a whisper. “Your mother thinks you are going to hurt Alfred to become king!” She paused. “You’re not...are you?” Aeldra knew he wanted to be king, and she agreed that he should be, but to actually plot against King Alfred? She could not conceive of it.

A scowl spread over Aethelred’s face. “Of course not, Aeldra. Alfred is my brother. If I were to become king, it would only be because he stepped down willingly or heaven forbid something happen to him, but it would not be by my hand.”

Aeldra took a breath to steady herself. “Why would she say that to me?”

“She’s paranoid. Harmless - but paranoid.” He was aggravated that his mother was now projecting her paranoia onto his fiance.

The truth was that Aethelred had no earthly idea how he would eventually become king of Wessex, but he would see it through. Of that much, he was sure.

Judith walked away with a satisfied grin once she spotted Aeldra entering the room with Alfred and Aethelred. Aeldra had failed the test, and now Judith couldn’t trust her. That much was clear.


	8. Spring in Wessex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the day before the wedding, and Aethelred makes a discovery with Aeldra's help.

_ You don’t think he would go to all the inconvenience of making political trouble with Alfred solely because of some supposed assassination attempt, do you? _

That word was still ringing in Aeldra’s ears: “supposed.” Judith had called the attempt on Aethelred’s life “supposed”. Wasn’t it true?  _ Why would Aethelred lie about that?  _ He had told her why he left anyway so why would the assassination be a lie? She felt caught. If she couldn’t trust Judith as Aethelred said, and she couldn’t fully trust Aethelred, then who was left? Aethelred had told her to be wary of sharing information with Alfred, but Alfred had only proven himself to be her ally.

The wedding was tomorrow. Aeldra felt her only option was to talk to Alfred. Regardless of his relationship with his mother, as king he had to know what was going on. Maybe he could clear up all of this. Aeldra made a point to approach him while he took his daily constitutional in the palace gardens.

Alfred was relieved to the see the sun. It was a bright, clear spring day in Wessex. He breathed in the fresh air, glad to be outside of the gloomy walls of the palace.

Aeldra would normally have skipped out of the palace. She adored the sun, but her mood kept her from enjoying it much. She walked out of the palace corridor into the gardens. After a few steps, she spotted the king in a far corner, admiring the work of the gardeners on the trellis of roses that had not yet bloomed but were full of buds. The garnet color of his velvet doublet, illuminated by the sun, combined with his dark hair made him look regal indeed.

When he heard Aeldra’s footsteps, he turned toward her and smiled. He appreciated Aethelred’s selection of a bride. She was beautiful and kind, but Alfred noticed that her usual cheerful expression had faded in recent days.

“Let us hope that the weather holds for your marriage to Aethelred tomorrow.” Alfred looked up and closed his eyes in the sun, clearly enjoying himself.

Aeldra couldn’t help but smile. Alfred was disarming, and it was easy to see why he was happy - it felt as if the sun hadn’t appeared for months. His enthusiasm for it was contagious.

“Yes, your Grace, I hope that as well. It would make for a much better ceremony.”

“Please, call me Alfred. No need to be so formal. We will soon be family.” Alfred motioned for Aeldra to follow him to a nearby bench near the wall.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“Nonsense. Did you need something? I assumed you were here to enjoy the scenery.”

“Alfred,” She began, still feeling a little odd at referring to him so informally. "This could be nothing, but I feel like you are the only one who could help if this is serious. It seems silly even asking you this. Is it true that there was an assassination attempt on Aethelred’s life?”

“Why on earth would that be silly? That  _ is  _ a serious thing. It’s treason!”

Aeldra shrugged. “It’s just...I was talking to Judith, and she seemed to hint that it wasn’t true.” She swallowed hard. “And she implied that he might try to come after you.”

“Now  _ that  _ I find hard to believe. It’s true that my brother wanted to try to get me to step down, but he’s back now. I’ve had many discussions with him, and he is firmly on my side - probably now more than ever.” Alfred paused and looked down, an expression of slight sadness falling over his face. “Our mother cares greatly for both of us, but she has a tendency to get carried away with things. I am sorry she put you in the middle of this. Did you talk to Aethelred about it yet?”

“Yes, and of course he told me not to worry. I can’t help but think he isn’t telling me everything though.”

“That’s Aethelred. Even though we’re family, he’s still very tight-lipped about most things. Now his opinion?  _ That  _ he will offer without solicitation.” Alfred chuckled. “Plus, as my military commander, it’s standard for him not to give away more  information than necessary, but that’s not the same as being a husband or brother.”

Aeldra placed a hand on Alfred’s and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you, Alfred.”

He smiled sweetly. “Of course.” He rose from the bench. “Now, we have yet to discover who was plotting against my brother. We did find the corpse of the man who came for him, but I assure you that we will root them out. I also have additional sentries posted for Aethelred until we do. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to, but feel free to remain and enjoy this glorious day!” 

Aeldra believed Alfred. Everything he said made sense, yet she couldn’t shake this terrible feeling she had about Judith who had attempted to make her distrust her future husband. 

\----

Aethelred hadn’t been able to sleep well for days, putting him in a foul mood. He knew the threat to his life was likely still around. He had to do something about it. Waiting for it to come to him meant he could lose any advantage that he had, physically or mentally. He was stalking the halls late, as all the worrying about not sleeping combined with concerns over the plot against him had him much more anxious than usual. Aside from his own problems, he wanted to be there fully for Aeldra tomorrow when they became husband and wife.

Most of the palace was quiet, save for the few guards that were required around the clock. He stopped when he heard voices from his mother’s apartment. Aethelred hung back around the nearest corner and listened. He couldn’t make out what they were saying.

He heard a man leave, his heavy steps coming Aethelred’s direction. As soon as he rounded the corner, Aethelred seized him by the collar and shoved him up against the wall. To his surprise, it was Barnett, the captain of his guard, his second in command.

“You better have a very good reason for visiting with my mother this late.” Aethelred growled.

Barnett looked startled, the man’s face turning red from the pressure of Aethlred’s fists in his chest.

“My lord -” he gasped. “Is it a crime to pay a lady a visit in the interest of courtship?”

Aethelred loosed his grip. “Ugh.” It wasn’t really his business, he decided. He didn’t know much about Captain Barnett's personal life, but Aethelred wasn’t about to ask for details about his mother’s latest affair. “Fine. Get back to your post.”

“Yes, sir.” Barnett took off.

Aethelred stomped back to his chamber. He wished he could forget that entire encounter.

\----

_ Dear Diary, _

_ Tomorrow is the day! Finally! I’m going to be Prince Aethelred’s wife. I can hardly stand the anticipation. Of course, the last week or so has been terribly worrisome, but I feel I can start to put that behind me. Aethelred has a lot on his mind, and I just hope he can put it behind him once we’re husband and wife or at least confide in me more. King Alfred has proven to be a kind man, and I am so happy to have him as a family member. I still fear for Aethelred’s life, but the king has very capable people so I am sure whoever is responsible will be brought to justice soon. _

Aeldra was happy to be writing in her diary again. She had missed a few days here and there, but it helped to get her thoughts and feelings out of her mind and onto the page. Tomorrow was going to be a whirlwind, and she wanted to remember every detail of it so she could record it in her diary. That is, the day  _ after _ her wedding night.

The next day Aeldra woke early before any of the royal attendants arrived, her nerves preventing her from sleeping any longer. The entire morning would be spent getting dressed and ready as well as a ceremony for only the bride before the wedding in the afternoon followed by the reception that evening.

Aeldra’s gown was cream-colored with gold embellishments. It had fine gold embroidery from the bodice all the way through the train, and the bell-shaped sleeves completed the look. Once the attendants had finished fastening the headscarf over Aeldra’s long brown curls, Judith walked in to offer her appraisal. She was looking lovely in a royal blue gown with gold details.

“Aeldra, you look beautiful.” Judith walked around her, assessing every detail. “Just one thing. You need an appropriate necklace. That one is much too plain. Why don’t you come with me and select one from my collection?”

“Really?” Aeldra was very flattered that Judith had offered. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to leave my chamber?”

“Of course. Aethelred is getting ready in a far area of the palace. By design.” Judith winked.

Aeldra followed Judith to her quarters. One attendant followed behind to take care of the dress’s train.

Aeldra marveled at Judith’s quarters as they entered and walked through several rooms. It felt absolutely cavernous compared to her guest area. Then it occurred to her:  _ Tonight I’ll be staying in Aethelred’s apartments. Our apartments.  _ She smiled, briefly caught up in her daydream.

“You can choose something from this collection.” Judith opened her armoire to reveal a stunning array of jewelry. “I need to go address some additional wedding details, but take your time.” Judith left Aeldra alone with the jewels. Aeldra chose a beautifully draped gold necklace with what appeared to be diamonds throughout.  _ She did say choose anything. _ As her attendant fastened the necklace around her neck, Aeldra admired it in the mirror.

She turned to go but took a moment to stop and look around a little longer. It was an opulent space, but Judith was the queen mother so it only made sense. Aeldra was about to leave when something on the desk caught her eye. It was an open book with only partially-filled pages. Was that Judith’s diary?

Aeldra walked over as if to examine the desk but couldn’t help but drift her eyes over the still-open page of the diary. Skimming the page, she saw at least one mention of Aethelred’s name. Before she could think, Aeldra snapped up the book and tucked it into the back of her dress, just under the belt, covered by her long headscarf. Her heart pounding, she made a hasty exit back toward her quarters.

As soon as she was back in her chambers, Aeldra quickly slipped it behind some of the books on her credenza to review later. With a look toward the servant who had taken care of her train during the quick trip, Aeldra received confirmation that her secret was safe.

Aeldra was surprised by her own actions. Yet, her instincts told her that it was the best way to pin down Judith’s motivations. Whatever Aethelred and Alfred told her, the common denominator in all of this was Judith. Then she remembered the wedding plans.  _ I can’t keep this here. My things will be moved into Aethelred’s apartments today, and it will surely turn up. I have to get it to him now.  _ Summoning the attendant that had accompanied her to Judith’s, she retrieved the book, wrapped it in a scarf, dropped it into a satchel, and handed it over.

“Please take this to Aethelred. Tell him it’s a wedding gift.” It wasn’t uncommon for a couple to give gifts to each other for the wedding so it was unlikely to raise suspicion. The attendant nodded and made haste with the package out the door.

\----

Aethelred was growing impatient. Why did this process have to take so long? He was pacing up and down the floor of his chambers, waiting to be told what to do next. He heard a knock and sighed, wondering what was next. He found one of Aeldra’s attendants at the door.

The servant bowed. “My lord, a gift from my lady.” She departed upon handing him the satchel.

Aethelred’s curiosity was piqued. He removed the package from the satchel and unwrapped the book. Upon skimming its contents, he gasped and looked around furtively. Although he was alone, he was startled.  _ What was she thinking?! Did Aeldra really steal my mother’s journal? What am I supposed to do with this?  _ His heart was pounding. Did Judith already know it was missing? Was she combing the castle halls at this very moment?

He was about to hide it somewhere, but then he stopped. The curiosity was too much. He had to know what was in it. Otherwise, Aeldra wouldn’t have risked so much in taking it. He flipped through, reading excerpts from the pages. Nothing unusual so far - entries about what she did that day, who she talked to, boring royal administrative items, worrying over Alfred. Aethelred’s name was mentioned a few times in reference to the wedding and some other things. Then last night’s entry. It was odd in that it referenced a significant payment to… “B”. He noticed that was similar to another very similar entry in the weeks before he left for Northumbria.

_ Wait. _ Dread, paranoia, and hurt coursed through him. 

_ My own mother. _ Then came the anger. Aethelred wanted to confront her immediately. 

_ The wedding _ . He decided he would have to push this out of his mind and make it through his wedding to Aeldra, acting as if he didn’t know anything about his horrible mother plotting his own demise. If it weren’t for his love for Aeldra, things would be playing out very differently this afternoon.


	9. The Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding is here! Aethelred takes action where his mother is concerned.

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Aethelred was seething, his face burning with the realization that his mother wanted him gone. It was going to be difficult to get through the rest of the day with the wedding and reception still to come. He was going to have to push the anger aside and focus on Aeldra today. It wouldn’t be easy, but he would definitely see to it that Judith got what she deserved, regardless of what Alfred said or did.

He slammed the diary down on a table and walked out. Aethelred was still agitated when he lined up in his place to proceed down the hall to meet his bride. He looked a lot better than he felt - his royal blue overcoat with gold embroidery was a stark contrast to the black outfit underneath and accentuated his clear blue eyes. His sword and sheath were freshly polished and gleaming on his hip at the end of an ostentatious jeweled belt which sparkled whenever the sunlight hit it. Aethelred thought he was wearing a ridiculous amount of jewelry, but Judith had insisted. Per usual, his hair was parted on one side and smoothed back, ending in a tangle of curls at the back of his neck.

All the anxieties of his day vanished when he laid eyes on Aeldra. She looked as if she was glowing in the dim light of the palace, the gold throughout the dress highlighting her dark features.

Aethelred approached her and took her hand and whispered to her. “You are the true definition of beauty.”

Aeldra was too stunned to speak. She was finally here - marrying the prince of her dreams, and her prince had taken her hand, looking very much the part in all his finery. It took all her restraint not to curtsy or bow as she was still very much aware that she was in the presence of royalty - royalty that she knew very intimately, but royalty nonetheless.

Aeldra blushed. “Thank you, my prince.”

He took her hand and proceeded toward the altar. It wasn’t tradition for the prince to do this, but Aethelred didn’t care. The bishop offered the invocation in Latin, and after having them recite the vows and pronouncing his blessing, he proclaimed them husband and wife to much rejoicing from all those in the court.

Aethelred couldn’t remember the last time he smiled so much. It was a relief to have any source of joy in his life, and Aeldra was it. She was what he needed, and he finally felt whole. He and Aeldra entered the banquet hall for the reception to another round of cheering. As soon as they had a seat at the royal table along with Judith and Alfred, the rest of the guests took their seats.

Aeldra’s family was in attendance, and she briefly joined them to talk about life in the palace, what Aethelred and his family were like, and catch up on things happening at the family home. She noticed that Aethelred kept glancing her way from his spot at the royal table with a smile on his face. She motioned to him to come down to where she was to introduce him to her family.

Aethelred was charming as he met her parents, older brother, and two younger sisters. Aeldra tried very hard not to give her sisters dirty looks at their giggling when introduced to her husband.

Aethelred was enjoying the conversation with Aeldra’s family when he noticed Barnett out of the corner of his eye. After finishing up with her family, the couple returned to their table to finish dinner.

Throughout the meal, Aethelred's eyes tracked Barnett's movements. He wasn't letting the man out of his sight for even a second. Barnett was standing with another guard over by a table of noblemen, enjoying a drink. Because he had set it aside when they sat down, Aethelred quietly reached for his sword and strapped it around his waist. He couldn’t wait any longer.

Leaning over to Aeldra, he whispered, "I'll return in a moment, my love." Aeldra watched with concern as he rose to go, wondering why had he strapped his sword to his side again. She wanted to follow him but stayed put in order not to arouse any suspicion from others at the party, especially Judith or Alfred.

"Come with me." Aethelred demanded as he walked past Barnett. Barnett dutifully put down his goblet and followed Aethelred around the corner and into a side room.

After closing the door behind him, Barnett stood at attention. "What do you require, my lord?"

Aethelred paced away from him a few steps, staying silent for a beat, just to see what Barnett's reaction was. The man seemed to be at ease in his presence, at least for the moment. Aethelred then whirled around, drawing his sword, pointing the tip at a very startled Barnett's neck.

"I require you to tell me why I shouldn't kill you where you stand." Rage flickered in Aethelred's eyes. "I should turn you over to Alfred, but I've already dispatched one assassin so why shouldn't I just take care of you? You. Lied. To. Me." He bit the words out.

Sheer terror was on Barnett's face. "Please, Prince - I'm sorry. I never wanted to betray you!" He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. Aethelred pushed the blade closer to his neck.

"Then who did?" He knew the answer, but he needed to hear it to be sure he could trust what the captain said.  

Barnett swallowed, backing up to the door as Aethelred approached, sword still held straight out. "Your mother. She's threatening my family, or else I would have told you immediately. Please don't kill me."

"Then why did she make note of a payment to you?"

Barnett shook his head again, beads of sweat on his face becoming visible in the torchlight. "I don't know. She tried to bribe me, and when I refused to go against you, she threatened my family. Please, my lord, I'm your loyal servant. You have to believe me."

The look on the captain's face was not one of a man who had been caught and remained defiant. He was clearly under duress and wanted nothing to do with a plot against Aethelred, and Aethelred desperately wanted to believe him.

Against his better judgment, the prince finally lowered his sword, allowing Barnett to breathe a sigh of relief.

"I want you to act as if nothing has changed. Say whatever you need to appease my mother and alert me if anything changes. I will handle her."

Barnett nodded. “Thank you, my lord.”

The disgust within Aethelred grew. He knew all too well that Judith would have made good on her threats toward Barnett's family if things didn't go her way. It was one thing for her to favor Alfred over him, but the undercurrent of hostility made his skin crawl. He could almost feel his heart completely close off to her. Aethelred knew what he had to do and suddenly found a renewed confidence. He dismissed Barnett, and both men returned to the reception.

Aeldra was relieved when Aethelred returned to her side at the table. As he took his place beside her, he ran one hand over her back and placed a kiss on her lips that made her stomach flip. She would never get tired of that feeling. He smiled at her, and his bright blue eyes reflected the soft light in the room and melted her heart all over again.

Aethelred felt himself relax for the rest of the reception. He was with his beautiful new bride who was radiant all evening. There was dancing and drinking, and the party went well into the early morning hours. Even the Northmen that Alfred had staying at the palace were in attendance and having a good time.

"Woooould youuu like to join me in my chamber, milady?" Eyes half-closed, Aethelred was starting to slur his words and leaned over Aeldra with one arm around her.

With a chuckle, Aeldra leaned into Aethelred to prop him up. "Okay, I think it's time to go, Prince." She helped him out of his chair, and the two made their way to his apartments. Aeldra tried to stay upright as she wrapped one arm around his waist since he had one arm over her shoulders.

"I love you so much." He slurred as they walked down the hall. Aeldra could only smile while struggling to keep her balance. It was a good thing he was cute when he was drunk. She was relieved when she sat Aethelred on the bed. He was bigger than she was and quite heavy when leaning on her.

As she began to wiggle out of her dress, Aethelred fell back on the bed with a thump and stared, groggy, at the ceiling.

"So my mother wants to kill me." He mumbled, followed by a hiccup and a laugh.

Aeldra turned around and stared at him, unsure of what he meant.

“What did you say?” Aeldra climbed onto the bed next to him and looked at his face. His eyes were glazed, and it wasn’t clear he even knew what he was saying at this point.

“My mother.” Aethelred breathed, closing his eyes. “She wants to kill me.”

“What? Why would she do that?” Aeldra felt dread start to creep up her spine. She knew Judith was manipulative, but she didn’t think her capable of something like that.

No answer.

“Aethelred!” She shook him gently. He was out like a light.

Aeldra wasn’t satisfied with not knowing what was going on between Judith and Aethelred, but she would have to wait until he was awake and sober. She knew she couldn’t lift him enough to completely get him out of his clothes, but she pulled off his boots and managed to turn him using his legs so that at least he was more fully on the bed.

As she continued to work her way out of her dress, she pulled on her nightgown and looked around. It seemed most of her belongings had indeed been moved into her new home. Then she spotted Judith’s diary on a table near the bed. Something in there must have been what led Aethelred to say what he did.

Aeldra grabbed the book and sat down on the other side of the bed. She was hoping Judith hadn’t noticed it was missing yet. She wasn’t sure how they were going to get it back to her room unnoticed, but she was going to look through it while she had the chance.

She spent some time reading with Aethelred sleeping soundly behind her. Judith liked to write about the mundane things of the palace - mostly events and comings and goings rather than her own thoughts and feelings except for anything concerning Alfred. A majority of entries had to do with Alfred and how anxious she was for him.

_Alfred is finally king. I don’t think he believes in himself, but I know he has great things within him. I’ve seen it._

Not a word about how Aethelred had been made to give up the crown. Nothing about how he may have been hurt by that. Everything was always about Alfred. Aeldra knew she had seen Aethelred’s name earlier when she first took the diary. He was mentioned in passing throughout. The only detail was regarding his father’s death, earlier in the diary.

_Aethelwulf is gone. He was a good husband although I’m not sure he would have been the best king for Wessex in the long run. Aethelred seems particularly upset although he doesn’t show it. My son is very strong but rash, and I wonder if he’s prepared to be king._

Aeldra read over the words again and then turned to look at her sleeping husband. He definitely kept many things to himself. She was about to stop reading when she saw a note at the end of the current page: _Aethelred is a danger to Alfred._ Aeldra quickly closed the book. That was all she needed to read. Is that what Aethelred had found? Just the thought of him reading something so distressing made Aeldra’s heart break for him. Surely he was going to do something about it, but what? Judith had to be stopped, but how?

Aeldra put the diary back on the table. She wrapped herself in her robe and then curled up next to Aethelred, one arm across his chest. No wonder he seemed to be in constant internal turmoil. If he had read even half of what she did in that diary, it was a miracle he was still there with her at all.

\----

Aethelred woke up blurry-eyed. His head hurt. He felt Aeldra next to him, and then he realized she was looking up at him from her spot on his shoulder.

“Good morning.” She whispered to him.

Aethelred groaned. Then he remembered they had gotten married. “I’m so sorry, Aeldra.” He was disappointed in himself for consuming the celebratory wine to excess.

“What do you mean?”

Aethelred rubbed his eyes. It was an overcast day, and there was some flat light coming in the window, but it felt like a spotlight to him and his pounding head. “I, uh, really should have made our wedding night a little more special.”

Aeldra giggled. “Oh, I think you have the rest of your life to make it up to me.” Her hand drifted down his abdomen and gave his crotch a gentle squeeze. He was already semi-erect, especially after Aeldra touched him. She started to move off the bed, but Aethelred was quick and grabbed her around the waist with one arm and pulled her back to him. Aeldra made a sound like a squeak as she fell back into him.

“You don’t get to tease me like that and leave.” Aethelred easily pulled Aeldra on top of him and began kissing her. She wiggled her hips against his pelvis, knowing it would drive him crazy.

Aethelred was very aware that he was still wearing all of his clothes from the night before. He pushed his hips up into Aeldra’s. She gasped into their kiss. In truth, he was ready to take her now. To his relief, she had the same idea and sat up and started working on his pants, getting them undone enough to pull them down to expose his cock, now at full attention. Working her gown up her legs, Aeldra centered herself over him. Aethelred watched as she eased down onto his manhood, clearly already wet and ready for him. They moaned in unison when she finally got all the way down, taking a second to adjust.

Aeldra leaned down and kissed him, his tongue hungrily pushing into her mouth. Before she could even think about moving, Aethelred dug his heels into the bed, rocked back, and thrust hard up into her. He kept at it, and the angle at which he was hitting that sweet spot was _just right_ , and she let him continue, breaking their kiss as her breath started to come in pants.

Aethelred needed more leverage so in one motion, he rolled her over onto her back. It would have been easier if he could work his pants the rest of the way off, but he couldn’t stop even for that. Aeldra was his now, and he was desperate to show her how much he loved her since she was the one person in his life that seemed to love him back.

Aeldra wrapped one leg around Aethelred’s hip. He took up a steady pace, and she relished each stroke in and out, his cock filling her up and stretching her out. His strong chest pressed against hers as he used his whole body to rock into her. It was a satisfying feeling, and she reached up and kissed him in appreciation every chance she got. With one long low moan, Aethelred reached his peak, slowing his pace, watching Aeldra, her eyes closed and panting along with him. Once he rolled off of her, she cuddled up to him again.

"I love you.” Aethelred said it so quietly that Aeldra might not have heard him were it not for the fact that she was right next to him.

“I love you too, my prince.” She ran her fingers down one cheek and across his jaw, admiring the angles and features that made him handsome and unique. He took her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it. Aethelred’s head was still pounding, but he didn’t care. He was so content in this moment that he never wanted it to end.

Both drifted off to sleep again after a few minutes. As they were newly married, absolutely no one was going to bother them until at least the afternoon.

When Aeldra awoke, she realized Aethelred must have moved her while she slept because they were now both under the bed clothes, fully naked of course. It wasn’t long before Aethelred yawned and stretched, now awake.

He sighed. Aeldra recognized his expression immediately. “What’s wrong, husband?”

“It’s my mother.”

“Yes, you told me about that last night.” Aeldra’s heart sank when she heard the words. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I need to stop her, but Alfred also needs to know what she’s done. I fear he won’t do what is necessary though.”

“What do you mean?”

“My mother controls Alfred. I love my brother, but I just don’t think he’s strong enough to actually punish her.” He paused, pensive. “This would be so much easier if I were king.” It was clear the thought was still weighing on him although he didn’t talk about it much. Then again, his mother would be trying to take down a reigning monarch if that were true.

Aeldra ran her hand over his chest, drawing random patterns with her fingers. “Yes. It would.” After a moment, she continued, “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.” The truth was Aethelred didn’t know. He still had a burning desire to be king, and it drove him crazy that it was taken away from him. The crown was rightfully his, and he was reminded of it every day since he had returned home from Northumbria. He was the legitimate heir of Aethelwulf, and just because his mother didn’t love his father didn’t change that fact. It was going to be necessary to expose Judith’s plot to Alfred, and Aethelred began forming a plan. Maybe there was a way to kill two birds with one stone.

\----

Later that day, Aeldra was straightening up their new home, getting things organized while Aethelred took care of some correspondence in his study. She came across the diary again and brought it into him.

“Aethelred, she’s going to look for this book if she isn’t already looking. We have to get it back to her chambers.” Aeldra was fairly sure that Judith was already searching for her diary. It had been more than 24 hours since she took it.

“And we will. I’m done hiding it from her.” Aethelred picked up the book and headed for the door. His tone was resolute. It worried Aeldra.

“Where are you going?” Aeldra stepped in front of him.

“To see my mother.” The look in his eyes was unmistakable. This was a man on a mission. Aeldra thought better of getting in his way and stepped aside. When he exited, she followed him out the door.

Aethelred pounded on his mother’s door. When there was no answer, he let himself in.

Aethelred and Aeldra were sitting in the main parlor in Judith’s quarters when she entered, Alfred behind her.

It was clear Judith was surprised to see them. “Aethelred. Aeldra. Lovely to see you.”

“Brother! And my new Sister! Greetings.” Alfred walked over to Aeldra and embraced her. How he was king and almost always in a pleasant mood was a mystery to her.

Aethelred stood up. “I brought this back.” He tossed the diary on the nearby desk with a sneer. “Maybe you want to explain yourself, mother.”

Aeldra felt her heart start to race. He was much more agitated than she realized.

Judith laughed. “What is there to explain? You’re the one that had my diary.” She directed her gaze to Aeldra. “Although I’m sure you didn’t act alone.”

“Why don’t you explain to the king how you tried to get my captain to assassinate me? Oh, and let’s not forget that you threatened his family in doing so.” Aethelred paced the floor while he spoke.

Alfred’s eyes were as wide as saucers at this accusation. “What?! Do you have proof of this?”

Aethelred could feel the anger physically rising within him. “I have the word of Barnett as well as proof of a bribe to him in her diary. I caught him coming out of her quarters two days ago in the middle of the night! Alfred, you have to arrest her!” He was now face to face with Alfred, his finger held out accusingly toward Judith.

Alfred turned to his mother, his face full of disappointment and sadness. He didn’t want to believe it. “Is this true?”

Judith’s expression remained stoic. “Yes, I suppose it is.” She would do whatever it took to cement Alfred’s legacy. Her only regret was that she hadn’t yet found him a wife. More than anything, she was irritated with herself for being so sloppy as to leave her diary out like that.

Aethelred looked expectantly at Alfred, hands on his hips. Alfred pulled his brother aside, out of earshot of the women and spoke in a hushed tone. “Aethelred, I can’t arrest my own mother. How will that look?”

“Like a king who doesn’t suffer treasonous threats.”

“Or like a king who is so ruthless that he’ll imprison his own mother.”

Aethelred couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “That’s absurd! How do we know she won’t try it - or something worse - again? If you cared for me at all, you would do what is necessary.”

Alfred’s brow was furrowed; he was clearly very conflicted about the decision. He placed a hand on Aethelred’s shoulder. “You know I love you, but I’m the king. This is my decision to make. I absolutely cannot punish her. We need to deal with this quietly or the entire kingdom will lose faith in my ability to rule if our family problems become common knowledge.”

Aeldra watched the two with worry etched on her face. She was trying hard not to look at Judith. Her stomach turned just thinking about what Judith had tried to do to Aethelred. _Her own son._

Aethelred let out a frustrated breath. He knew that this would happen but hoped against all odds that it wouldn’t. Looking over his shoulder at the two women who were watching them carefully, he turned as if to signal silent acceptance of his brother’s words.

As soon as Alfred took his hand off of Aethelred, Aethelred closed the distance between himself and Judith in a few large steps. Just when it appeared he was going to walk past her and out the door, he drew his dagger from his hip and grabbed her from behind, his blade at her neck. Judith gasped and let out a yelp of helplessness.

“If you want her to live, surrender the crown.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. ;) Thanks for being patient! I hope you enjoyed the chapter as I agonized over it quite a bit.


	10. The One True King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A standoff, a fight, and justice.

“Athelred, what are you doing?!” Aeldra shrieked. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Alfred put a hand out toward his brother. “Aethelred, please...let her go.” He was trying to remain calm, but his hand was trembling.

Aethelred tightened his grip on Judith. “No! Alfred, you know who she is and what she’s capable of. Are you just going to wait until she finishes the job?”

“Aethelred, we can talk about this.”

Aethelred shook his hand. “We can’t - unless give up the crown.”

Alfred couldn’t believe this. He thought he knew his brother. It broke his heart to know that Aethelred never was truly “home” after returning from Northumbria and had still harbored ambitions on the crown.

“You know I can’t do that.”

Aethelred’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh no?”

He moved the knife from Judith’s throat and jammed it into the front of her shoulder almost to the hilt. She screamed from the pain, and Aeldra fell to the floor in shock. The room started to spin, and she saw blood start to run from Judith’s shoulder.

“STOP!” Alfred shouted, and guards immediately ran in. He put his hand up to halt them while still addressing his brother. “You will not do this.”

Judith was breathing hard and couldn’t escape Aethelred’s grip. He still had the knife in her shoulder. “One more step, and it’s in her heart.”

Aeldra looked up from her spot on the floor. “Aethelred, please…” There were tears in her eyes, and her voice started to crack. This wasn’t the prince that she knew. He wanted to be king, but she never imagined that his ambitions would push him this far.

Aeldra’s plea cut to Aethelred’s heart, and it was all he could do to keep himself steady. He hadn’t anticipated how she was going to react. In all of this, she was the one person that he wanted to protect as she had never wavered in her support of and loyalty toward him. Judith wasn’t making a sound, save for breathing heavy with the wound in her shoulder. He moved his head almost imperceptibly to signal to Aeldra that she needed to be quiet.

“Alfred…” There was warning in Aethelred’s tone. He didn’t want to twist the knife, but he would if he had to. His grip remained firm around Judith. Her entire body was tense, and he knew if he loosened his hold on her for a second, she would try to retaliate.

Alfred realized he didn’t have any more time to negotiate with his brother. The guards were in the room, and he could have Aethelred arrested and probably hanged if he so chose. It was too much. Alfred just wanted his family to stop the madness. He looked down, his eyes glassy. It wasn’t worth it to him.

“Okay.” He paused, lowering his voice. “Fine. I will renounce the crown in your favor. Just let her go. Please.”

Aethelred was satisfied with the answer and yanked the dagger from Judith’s shoulder. She collapsed as the blood started to flow more freely from the open wound. Alfred and Aeldra rushed to her to help control the bleeding until more help arrived while Aethelred turned on his heel and marched out.

Aethelred’s head was spinning. He looked down at his hands as he walked, blood covering the one that held the dagger. He really hadn’t meant to do it. It was just that he was enraged, and he saw an opportunity. Almost without thinking, it had happened. Then he thought about Aeldra and Alfred, their expressions when he had stood there, wild-eyed, threatening his mother. _I’m no better than she is._ He knew he would end up breaking Alfred’s heart, but he felt crushing regret when he thought of Aeldra.

As soon as he reached his door, he heard footsteps hurrying towards him. Aethelred stepped in to their apartment, followed by Aeldra. He turned to her, and she saw the remorse in his eyes.

Aeldra couldn’t decide if she was more angry or hurt. Her dress had smears of Judith’s blood, along with streaks of it on her face.

“Why, Aethelred?” She said softly. Aeldra didn’t want to believe that he was heartless or that he would have really killed his own mother. As it was, he had already indirectly threatened his brother the king.

“I had to.” The turmoil was evident in his eyes.

Aeldra didn’t have the strength to argue with him or even understand him. _I don’t even know him._ Without responding, she walked past him into the bedroom and fell onto the bed, letting the sobs overtake her.

Aethelred knew he was on borrowed time. At any minute, Alfred could decide to take back his word and have him arrested, and maybe hanged. If he let it, all of this would destroy Aethelred from the inside. He knew one thing: a king would not second-guess himself. What he did he had to stand behind at all costs.

\----

Alfred sat alone in his study. How had he allowed this to happen? Judith was resting, unconscious, in her room. She would recover, but what now? He would normally have asked her or even Aethelred for counsel, but as it was, he had no one. The official public story was that there had been an accident involving Judith. However, Alfred had said that he would step down in favor of Aethelred. He had done it to protect his mother. Now Alfred had to worry that if something didn’t change, Judith and Aethelred would likely further injure or kill each other. This had to stop. He admitted to himself that it was true he should have imprisoned Judith initially for conspiring against his brother. He accepted responsibility for that. If he stepped down as king, what would happen? If Aethelred was king, what would he do? What kind of king would he be? He thought he knew his brother, but now it was clear there were things about Aethelred that remained a mystery.

Aeldra had changed out of her bloody clothes and washed her face. She was just about to pull out her diary when she heard the door to their chambers open and close so she walked out into the entryway. It appeared that Aethelred had left. Where he had gone, she didn’t know. It felt like this giant wall had risen between them, causing her to feel anxious and alone.

Aeldra sat down at the desk nearby, stunned by the days’ events into indecision. She was tired of crying, tired of thinking, tired of worrying. Was this going to be life inside the palace? She was absentmindedly staring at some papers that Aethelred had left on the desk when there was a knock at the door. Aeldra opened it to find Barnett, the captain of the guard, standing there.

“The king summons you, my lady.”

Aeldra followed Barnett down the hall. Alfred looked up when she entered and saw Aeldra wipe the last stains of tears from her cheeks. Her face was puffy and slightly red, and he knew she had been upset after this afternoon’s events.

“I’m so sorry to have to do this.” Alfred gestured for her to sit in the chair across from him. “You know him better than I do at this point. Did you know what he was going to do?”

Aeldra clutched her handkerchief in her hand. She couldn’t answer without crying. She shook her head and wiped her eyes again.

“No, King Alfred.” Her voice kept breaking, and it frustrated her to no end. She felt as if she didn’t know her husband at all anymore.

“Aeldra, I don’t know what to do. I told him I would renounce the crown, essentially making him king.”

As much as she wanted to help Alfred, Aeldra’s first loyalty was still to Aethelred. “Then that’s what you should do.”

Alfred stood and started pacing. “I can’t. Do you know how much turmoil would result in yet another change in the monarchy?”

Aeldra finally found her confidence. “Alfred, this is all over you being king. They’ll be at each other’s throats forever if you don’t. You’re the only one who can stop this.”

“I could also stop it by imprisoning one or both of them for treason.”

“Yes, but you won’t.”

Alfred stopped pacing and looked at her. Was that defiance on Aeldra’s face? Regardless, he had to talk to Aethelred. Alfred grabbed his sword and strapped it to his waist. “Where is Aethelred?”

“I don’t know. He left but didn’t tell me where he was going.”

“I need to find him.” Alfred turned to go, followed by Captain Barnett.

Alfred mounted his horse and rode out with Barnett at his side. Even if he couldn’t fathom what was going through his brother’s mind, he could at least find him. It took an hour for them to ride into the countryside. Alfred was heading to an area where their father used to take them to practice archery and sparring. As they cleared the ridge, Alfred saw his brother. It was a sunny day so it was easy to spot Aethelred hitting a dummy they had set up for that purpose. Although sparring hardly described what Aethelred was doing. There wasn’t much left of the dummy by the time Alfred arrived.

Aethelred was drenched in sweat. His face was red, and he had never hit anything so hard in his life, outside of battle. After having discarded his armor, he poured all of his frustration and rage out on that dummy when he had almost done the same thing to his mother. Aethelred was still agitated when Alfred rode up. When Alfred jumped down from his horse, Aethelred charged him. Alfred ducked, drew his sword, and managed to parry his next strike.

“Aethelred!” Alfred just wanted him to stop. Aethelred was much more experienced in this than he was.

“I was supposed to be King!” Aethelred bellowed, coming at him again.

“By right!” His sword glanced off of Alfred’s, but he kept up the onslaught.

“Father’s gone!” Another parry.

“Mother favors _you_!” The sword went flying from Alfred’s hand from the force of the last blow. Aethelred threw his sword down and shoved Alfred in the chest. Then he walked away from his brother, hands on his hips, spent. He let out a scream that reverberated across the hills.

“Aethelred,” Alfred said, breathless. “I’m giving you the crown.” Until Aethelred’s outburst, he did not know how much pain his brother was in.

“What?” He turned around. Despite Alfred’s earlier words, he was skeptical. He had half expected to be thrown in prison.

Alfred nodded. A flood of emotions hit Aethelred at once - relief, guilt, love, sadness, happiness, regret. He grabbed a surprised Alfred and embraced him, a few tears escaping when he squeezed his eyes shut.

“I love you, brother. It doesn’t matter who’s king.” Alfred whispered.

\----

_Dear Diary,_

_I can’t even begin to describe this day. My new mother has been stabbed by my husband. My prince left the palace a few hours ago. He hasn’t really even talked to me about any of this. I don’t even know how to feel. I miss him so much. I just want to see him, touch him, forget about all of this. Was he really going to kill her if Alfred hadn’t stopped him? It feels like a nightmare, and I just want it to end._

Aeldra had not visited Judith yet but heard she was recovering. There had been a lot more blood than Aeldra was expecting. She allowed herself to think about the whole scene again: Alfred’s initial panic followed by complete calm as he tried to stop his brother, Judith’s frightened face, eyes wide, terrified but obstinate, and then there was Aethelred. Aethelred had looked like a different man to her at that moment. If it were possible, he looked taller, more threatening, and his face was filled with determination, his eyes with fire. It was not unlike what Aeldra thought he would be like on the battlefield.

Aeldra had admittedly not known him long, but he wasn’t cruel. Aethelred was a practical man, not to mention strategic. He had to have a plan, even if no one else could see it.

Aeldra was about to put her pen to paper to continue writing when she heard the door open and close. She could tell it was Aethelred by his footfall. When he entered the room, she was so excited to see him, she didn’t need an explanation of anything. Aeldra flung her arms around his neck and buried her face there. She didn’t care that he smelled like his horse and metal and sweat.

“I’m so sorry.”

When Aeldra lifted her head, he took her face in his hands and kissed her. There were a thousand questions in her eyes, but he could only think of one thing to say.

“You just kissed the next king.”

Aeldra looked surprised and then serious. “You didn’t -”

He raised his eyebrows. “What, kill Alfred? Of course not! He told me what you did. Thank you.” Aeldra was already lost in his eyes again. They were clear and bright, almost as if reflecting the peace he finally felt.

Aeldra let go of Aethelred and took his hand, leading him toward the bed chamber with a smile on her face. “Well, I’m about to do more than just kiss the next king.”

\----

Alfred moved quickly on the coronation at Aethelred’s behest so Judith couldn’t recover and start unraveling everything. She was still miserable and antagonized Alfred over it enough as it was.

Alfred hoped this put a stop to the tensions between his mother and brother. He had tried to talk to Aethelred beforehand to get a feel for what he was going to do about Judith, if anything, but Aethelred had refused to discuss it. Alfred hoped that Aeldra was right - that this would stop the feuding in the family.

Aeldra picked out a beautiful purple gown for the occasion. She felt like she was about to burst with pride as she watched the King and Aethelred approach the throne with the bishop at their side. At the same time, she was nervous as she was unsure how the court full of nobles was going to react with this sudden change seemingly for no reason.

The court quieted as soon as King Alfred took his place.

“Gentlemen! For reasons I am not at liberty to disclose, today I announce my surrender of the crown in favor of Prince Aethelred. I remain a loyal prince of Wessex and will continue to be.” Alfred’s voice wavered slightly.  

He removed his crown and sat it on the table before him along with the rest of the royal insignia, including the ring, the orb, and the scepter. There was murmuring throughout the room, but it quieted as soon as the bishop began the ceremony to transfer the kingship. Opening a vial, the bishop poured drops of the anointed oil over Aethelred’s head and recited the blessing over the new king. He then reverently picked up the crown and placed it on Aethelred’s head, draped the royal cape around his shoulders, and placed the signet ring on his finger. Aethelred received holy communion afterward and then stood to address the crowd.

“I thank my brother for entrusting the crown and the country to me and for securing her for as long as he was king. I, Aethelred of Wessex, will do my best to protect the citizenry from all invaders, assure the authority of the Church, and oversee the prosperity and expansion of the kingdom. We will ensure the might of our army endures and that the glory of England will be known throughout the world!”

At that last line, cheers erupted from the crowd as Aethelred smiled, looking absolutely rapturous. He looked every bit the king that Aeldra had imagined him to be. Surveying the room, she noticed that the few Vikings in attendance looked especially nervous at the mention of invaders and were probably worried about their stance now that their primary ally was no longer king.

Aeldra smiled and applauded but cast a glance toward Judith who was standing near her. As expected, Judith looked pale, clearly unhappy. Maybe this wasn’t the solution that Aeldra hoped it would be. Aethelred’s next statement sucked all the air out of the room.

“Guards,” Aethelred looked over at Judith, his countenance hardening. “Arrest my mother for treason and conspiracy.”

Shocked gasps emanated from around the room as Barnett and another guard took their orders and escorted Judith from the room. She was silent but her eyes shot daggers back at Aethelred. Aeldra was astonished at the open hate in her eyes, and it saddened her.

Aethelred could not have fathomed the feelings that accompanied being crowned king, but he felt mostly pride - for his country, for himself, and for everything he knew this moment could be. He looked over toward Aeldra and beckoned her to his side. She would soon be crowned his queen, and Aethelred could not ask for anything more.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time I have finished a multi-chapter work! I'm so grateful for all of you that have read through it. Thank you for being patient with this last chapter. I really just wanted to make sure I did it right and didn't rush through it. I had no idea where this story was going when I started it and had to do a lot of work and research to get the details right! 
> 
> Aethelred is the true king. Fight me. 
> 
> Also, special thanks to @DarrenCahillInstaFans on Instagram for posting regular updates on this story and for being such a great cheerleader! THANK YOU. xoxo

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoy, leave a comment or a kudos (that heart button down there). Hit the subscribe button at the top to stay updated when new chapters post! Thanks! xoxo


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